A. #1) Lack of Transparency in Government (I will never forget that it is really your money that the government is spending, and will seek ways to make sure that you know, and that you will have more input, as to how your money is spent. This will include weekly input meetings [currently called “Lattés With Larry”] while the legislature is in session, and bi-weekly [except holidays] otherwise.)

#2) Lack of Frugality in Government (I will try to reduce as much bureaucracy as possible. We need to look at the budgets of all the other states, and if at least half aren’t funding something we are funding, we should strongly consider not funding it ourselves.)

#3) Reduce the burdens that government places on the people. (For every new law, we should eliminate two laws that are no longer needed and/or are too burdensome.)

Q. What do you think the state can do to improve the economy/create jobs?

A. Revamp the tax code to increase employment, make it easier to create and run a business. This would include starting an adult version of Junior Achievement for the long-term unemployed so that they can gain meaningful employment. We should try to emulate the successful states in regards to what laws that stimulate business the most we should adopt. There should be as few “overbearing regulations” as possible.

Q. How do you think we can address the drug crisis – in particular heroin and opioid abuse?

A. We should incarcerate people for victimless crimes as little as possible and concentrate on (encourage) rehabilitation.

I believe we should also legalize medical marijuana. Glaucoma patients shouldn’t go blind because some misuse something that would help. Recreational marijuana should be local option, just like alcohol. Giving people a legal option to heroin will help reduce the use of it.

Q. How should the state address the public pension deficit?

A. Two things: First, bring in some actuaries and try to make the system as actuarially-sound as possible (as someone who has passed the first actuarial exam, I should be able to monitor their work), and second, look at what other legislatures have done and adopt their best practices. This would probably include excluding sick pay from the calculations, cut out “double-dipping,” et al

Q. How do you think we can improve education?

A. Since Section 5 of the State Constitution says that “no man shall be compelled to send his child to any school to which is consciously opposed,” we should provide parents with as much choice as possible. A child should be allowed to attend any school his or her parents desire. Increase competition will make the schools better. I believe the State Constitution forbids forced busing. My solution to this problem would be to put the magnets that most white people want to go to in the black neighborhood schools, and vice-versa, then make busing optional.

All of the above would be designed to increase parental involvement in their children’s education, which is currently lacking.

Q. Where do you stand on gun control?

A. What part of “shall not be infringed” do people not understand? I am also in favor of Constitutional Carry, including for those out-of-staters whose laws do not allow it. Besides the Second Amendment, I will support Section 1, Part 7, of the State Constitution.

If restrictive gun laws actually protected public safety – I would support those. But the evidence is that in places where there are restrictive gun laws, such as Chicago and Washington, DC, there is actually less public safety. We need to stop with the new laws that restrict the good guys, but does nothing to stop the bad guys.

My solution is as follows:

a) anyone committing a crime using a gun automatically gets double the fine and jail time, plus two years

b) anyone committing a crime with a gun is not allowed to plea bargain their way to a lesser sentence, and no bail shall be granted. In states that require a bail by law, such as Kentucky, the amount shall be the maximum allowed by law

c) any accomplices that had the power to stop a criminal from using or carrying their gun, but did not do so, shall have a) and b) happen to them as well.

d) anyone committing a crime using a gun loses their second amendment rights, even if paroled. No exceptions.

e) eliminate public gun free zones. I believe in private property, but I also believe that private property owners should take responsibility for their actions. If an incident happens on a property that the owner states is gun free, that would probably have not occurred if his or her area was not gun-free, the owner should take some responsibility for the incident.

f) If you are a public official (or anyone), and you allow sales of guns to people who should not possess them (e.g. felons, illegal aliens, etc.), you should be jailed. (Yes, this would include those responsible for Fast and Furious, but since the Kentucky Constitution does not allow for ex post facto laws, Obama could not be jailed unless he does it again.)

Q. What are your thoughts about the government’s role in health care?

A. Health Care isn’t an enumerated power of the Federal Government, so by the Tenth Amendment, Kentucky should set its own standards. In fact, I believe that each county should set their own standards as what is appropriate for their own county. What is best for Jefferson County may be inappropriate for Pike County, and both might be inappropriate for Fulton County, etc.

I am in favor of allowing for interstate sales of insurance, which will bring costs down.

Q. Is there another issue you would like to address?

A. I am against the federal Real ID totally – I am the one who introduced the amendment at the Kentucky State Republican Convention to oppose the Real ID act, which was one of the reasons that Bevin cited on his veto. Real ID is an unfunded Federal mandates whose costs are passed down to you. (Drivers licenses would go from $20 to $48.) Unfortunately, Bevin promises to bring it up again in 2017, and we need to defeat it for good.

I am strongly in favor of term limits for legislators and judges, and promise to serve no more than eight years, which is the amount of time I favor. I also think that it should be a Constitutional amendment in order to make it harder for future legislatures to change it. Since there would have to be an election to pass the Constitutional amendment, that election would serve as the “grandfathering” clause and those incumbents who won but have already served the eight years would not be eligible for reelection after that.